OP-ED: Toronto schools swap arithmetic for woke indoctrination
Sue-Ann Levy writes, "Despite being under provincial supervision, it seems the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) keeps doubling down on anything but academics."
Despite being under provincial supervision, it seems the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) keeps doubling down on anything but academics.
The woke rot does indeed go deep and the latest proof is a seven-week series of racism workshops for Grades 5 and 6 students at a downtown school.
According an email from the Niagara Street Junior public school principal, Edita Tahirovic, obtained by Juno News, the one-hour workshops commenced Oct. 24 and continue for seven weeks.
The workshops are called “Talking about Race and Racism.”
The principal says in her initial Oct. 16 e-mail to parents that the workshops will help address the “natural curiosity” about skin colour while fostering “respect, diversity and inclusiveness” and build on the social-emotional skills” which includes allyship.
The Oct. 16 e-mail says Friday’s session for the 10- and 11-year-olds was to focus on “What is Race?”
After some prodding, one concerned parent was told that students will be pulled out of class for an hour for all seven Fridays and taken to a different room to be taught (lectured and groomed) by three TDSB social workers.
Apparently these “grooming” workshops replace Friday math class.
This is where the principal and her social worker compatriots appear to cross the line.
An education ministry directive — issued last year — says that parents must be given “detailed notice” in advance and should be provided any and all details of handout materials, giveaways or literature.
The policy was meant to respond to parents who regularly feel information is shared (often begrudgingly by board schools or administrators) after parents inquire.
And this is important—the policy says that speakers must connect directly with the Ontario curriculum, returning to student academic achievement with a “back to basics” emphasis.
It strikes me that pulling kids out of math class to lecture them on racism, specifically anti-black racism, is anything but back to basics, especially with math scores so dreadfully low in the TDSB.
I wrote several e-mails to the principal of this school and to TDSB spokesman Ryan Bird and received no response.
But it gets better.
One of the social workers giving the workshops is Larena Case, who has been with the board for seven years and won a Combatting Hate and Racism award for her anti-black racism work two years ago. She earned $131,219 in 2024.
Marcela Ortiz, another workshop facilitator, came to the TDSB from Parksville, B.C., three years ago. The trauma specialist and child and family abuse expert made $110,000 last year.
The third instructor, Erika MacNeil, earned $116,000 in 2024.
Sources say the first session got off to a great start when one of the instructors told the students that only non-white people can experience racism.
I’m sure the students can hardly wait for the next set of sessions, which will include these topics:
What is Racism?
Racism at School
Peaceful Advocacy
Privilege and Allyship (aka Grooming 101)
Let’s Play Jeopardy (whatever that means).
Beyond the questionable sessions and whether there is really a need for them, involved and engaged parents have very little idea of what materials are being used or what truths or lies are being fed to impressionable 10- and 11-year-olds.
The fact that the parents had so little notice and had to push for information is likely deliberate.
It’s galling to suggest, but given the amount of rot at the senior levels of the board, I’m willing to bet that many administrators have doubled down and don’t give a hoot what the minister or the provincial supervisor has to say.
This is but one example. How many other schools are still engaging in this woke madness?
The assertion that "only non-white people can experience racism" is itself racist against white people. But why care about skin colour, which is, by definition, only skin deep? Attitudes and behaviours are what matter. Teach the Golden Rule and lose this DEI and CRT BS.
Canada continues to double-down on brainwashing the newest generation of Canadians with Woke ideology indoctrination in schools. Who cares if Johnny and Susie can add and subtract or read just as long as they know DEI and how to virtue-signal? The next generation will be more brainwashed and disconnected from their nuclear family than the previous one already is. Canada is raising a generation of compliant robots. What more could a totalitarian government ask for as the world moves into globalization?